Chapter 23

Using large jars, buckets, deep plates, pots, and anything else that could be used, I spent several days removing the mud from the crabs.

The water changes during this period were such a hassle. If I couldn’t enhance the process with magic, it wasn’t something I particularly wanted to do. I wish there was a tap nearby.

Since I was still removing the mud from the crabs in the containers in the inn’s hallway, the inn’s youngest boy, who was still small, seemed to have taken quite a liking to the crabs. They’re big, but they have a certain charm.

When I tried to take them this morning, he looked at me with eyes that said, “You’re not going to eat those, are you…?” So, I had no choice but to leave one for him. Can’t help it. Be careful not to get pinched by the claws. Wash your hands after touching them.

“So, you’re going to cook this crab, huh?”

“Yeah. Sorry to keep you waiting, Rina.”

“I waited so long that I finished one of my missions.”

The crab dish was meant to cheer Rina up, but it seemed that after a few days, her mental state had already returned to normal. Then why did I...?

Well, it’s fine. It’s much better than being down all the time.

Today, we came to an outdoor kitchen area a little away from the street of stalls near the market.

This vast space is equipped with outdoor stoves at equal intervals, and you can use them for a small fee if you bring your own firewood. It’s a convenient facility. On rainy or windy days, it’s a bit inconvenient, but people who set up stalls in the market often cook here before taking their food to the stalls. There’s also a large communal water source, so it’s easy to do the washing up.

There were already a few groups using other stoves, making large soups for their stalls. Today, I’m going to make a dish that will rival the smell of those soups.

“Ah, and Mungrel-senpai, here you go.”

“Huh? Oh, these are... eggs! Wow, what’s this for?”

Rina handed over three eggs, which are quite expensive in this world.

“I got them from the village’s poultry farm on my way back from yesterday’s mission. It’s to apologize for the fishing trip the other day...”

“Why, why, I said you didn’t have to worry about it.”

“But you know... it’s just...”

“Come on, just accept them, Mungrel.”

“Oh, Ulrika is here too.”

Ulrika came over with a pot from the water source.

“Yeah, Ulrika-senpai also wants to try the crab dish.”

“I’ve never eaten shrimp or crabs before. I’ll help with the cooking, so can I join in?”

“Sure, I said Rina could bring anyone who was free and wanted to come.”

The crabs are of awkward sizes, but there are quite a few of them.

When cooked, there will be a bit too much for Rina and me to eat.

“Still, that’s a lot of stuff. Pots and all... Mungrel, you have so many tools.”

“Mungrel-senpai has everything. He has so many things that he can’t even get out of his room at the inn.”

“Ahaha, moving must be a hassle.”

I don’t have everything. Just the things I impulsively bought.

“Alright, first we need to dispatch these crabs. Then we’ll wash them thoroughly and remove the shells. Since there are three of us, let’s all do it.”

“Got it.”

“Sorry, Rina, how do I hold this?”

“Grab the side of the shell. Like this.”

“Ah, thanks.”

As expected from a party mainly focused on hunting, they are quite skilled at this kind of crab dissection.

They dispatch the crabs without hesitation, wash them thoroughly, and remove the shells.

“Put the gills and shells in this container. And separate the crab roe into this bowl.”

“Why do we have to do that?”

“Ah, these flaps? They’re similar to fish.”

“Right. Just remove them. Female crabs sometimes have eggs, so separate those too.”

They quickly master the technique and start disassembling the crabs. They might even be faster than me.

Well, I don’t have much experience either, so I can’t complain. I can’t afford to lose.

“So, Mungrel-senpai, what are you making today?”

“Well, well. You won’t understand just by looking... but you’ll know when it’s done...”

“Not knowing what it is makes me nervous...”

“Yeah, I get that.”

No, seriously, even watching the process would make you nervous.

This time, I want to enjoy seeing your reactions. I do.

“Alright, the main part of today’s process is... here... *dun*”

“I was wondering if you’d use that.”

“A large cast-iron pot... wow, it looks heavy.”

Actually, I wanted a stone mortar, but there isn’t one. This is a substitute.

“First, we put the crabs in this pot.”

“Huh? They’re still just the crabs with the shells removed.”

“Then we crush them with this pestle. *Smash!* *Smash!* *Smash!*”

“Whoa!?”

“Is this really cooking!?”

“It is. In the place I used to live... almost no one did it, but...”

“So why are you doing it so hesitantly!?”

“Maybe I should have had the Forest’s Bounty Inn cook it for us...”

But I ignore them and start crushing the crabs with the pestle. It’s a custom-made, thicker and more robust version than a regular pestle.

With my strength, I can crush the shells, legs, and claws all together into a paste.

“Once it’s reduced in volume, we add more and crush it!”

“Wow... it’s a brute-force method. And it’s getting... dirty...”

“It’s turning into a brown puddle...”

“Rina and Ulrika, try it too. Make it as fine as possible.”

“Okay... I’ll try... but what is this?”

We take turns crushing the crabs. However, Rina and Ulrika are not very strong, so their efforts don’t make much of a difference. So, I end up doing most of the crushing.

A crab paste mixed with shells, meat, and body fluids. The final product will be...

“A puddle...”

“A unmistakable, complete puddle...”

It’s a puddle. A gray and brown mixture with countless shell fragments floating in it. It’s just a puddle. No, it’s not a puddle, but...

“Is this something used in dark magic?”

“You’re saying it’s cooking, Mungrel-senpai?”

“You’re being so disrespectful. This isn’t the end yet.”

Next, we filter this puddle through a wooden sieve into another large pot.

The result is...

“A puddle with less debris...”

“It’s still a puddle...”

Yeah, it’s still a puddle. I can’t really call it a dish yet. But it’s not a puddle. There’s still more to come. If we filter it further with a coarse cloth...

“A smooth, debris-free puddle...”

“Ahaha, I think I’ll go home now?”

“Wait, wait, wait! It’s almost done! Almost done!”

The crucial part is coming up.

We heat this puddle... no, this carefully pasted and filtered crab soup.

Since there’s a lot of it, it will take some time with the firewood.

But if we keep heating it...

“Hey, something’s floating on the surface?”

“Really? Is it debris?”

“It’s not debris. We’ll keep boiling it.”

“...Is this scum?”

“It’s floating a lot! Shouldn’t we remove it?”

“It’s fine, it’s correct.”

“It’s a bubbling puddle...”

“It’s not a puddle, here’s the salt! Add it in the right amount!”

When we sprinkle salt into the pot, what happens?

“Oh, oh? Oh! What’s this, what’s this, it’s starting to solidify!”

“The puddle is getting a bit transparent! Mungrel-senpai, what is this...!?”

“I’m not sure myself.”

“You don’t know!? You’re the one doing it!?”

“Sometimes that’s how it goes.”

Probably it’s something like this: the proteins... react with the salt... something like that.

Even if I knew the science, it would be hard to explain. Let’s just move on.

“So, we heat the crab roe and eggs and mix them in... and adjust the taste with salt, and it’s done!”

“Oh...”

“The puddle has turned into something that looks like a dish!”

Depending on the region, this dish has different names, but the one I know is called "crab soup."

It’s a soup made by mashing up crabs.

Ideally, it would be better with soy sauce or miso, but since we don’t have those, we’ll make do with the crab roe.

“Wow, it’s a soup... it smells good!”

“This... makes me